As a wellness dentist in Burlington, I like to emphasize the benefits of a balanced diet on oral and dental health. We all know that healthy eating will provide different nutrients for your wellness. A healthy balanced diet should contain a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free dairy, and protein.
Even if you eat a variety of food but have some unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and immoderate carbohydrates intake can affect the development and integrity of the oral cavity and the progression of oral diseases.
Carbohydrates
It serves as an immediate source of energy as well as a means of storing it. Consuming too most carbohydrates will tilt the balance toward the bacteria found in mouths that use carbohydrates for energy production. Certain oral microorganisms such as Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus species, and Streptococcus sanguis metabolize carbohydrates, secrete acid, which lowers the pH to less than 5.5, resulting in demineralization of the enamel and dentin. Bacterial biofilms may also form at the gingiva, predisposing sites to the destruction of the gingival tissue, known as plaque-induced gingivitis.
Tobacco
Tobacco use is strongly associated with multiple pathoses, including myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, addiction, and malignancies. Oral manifestations of tobacco use include staining on teeth, smoker’s melanosis, acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, generalized periodontal disease, nicotinic stomatitis, oral dysplasia that can lead to cancer – squamous cell carcinoma. Oral cancer accounts for 3% to 4% of all malignancies.
Alcohol
Like tobacco, alcohol can be carcinogenic to humans. Heavy use is a significant risk factor for developing precancerous and cancerous oral lesions. Alcohol can damage DNA and proteins through oxidation and a toxin called acetaldehyde. If combined with tobacco use, the effects are more detrimental. Alcohol can decrease appetite and discourage caloric intake from food sources that lead to malnutrition. Excessive amount causes mucosal erosions and loss of epithelial villi at the stomach and parts of the small intestine.
Diabetes
A disease in which the blood glucose levels are elevated due to a lack of response by the body’s cells to insulin or insufficient pancreatic secretion of insulin. Obesity predisposes one to become diabetic. High in saturated, cholesterol and lack of exercise are all the predisposing factors. Oral complications of diabetes include periodontitis and candida infections. They manifest symptoms like angular cheilitis, median rhomboid glossitis, and denture stomatitis.
Medications
Certain drugs can affect the absorption of certain nutrients that in turn lead to deficiencies. See table I for some common medicines that can affect our nutritional balance.
Benefits from vitamins and minerals in balanced diet
Now let us explore the vitamins and minerals that benefit our oral and dental health.
1) Folate and B complex vitamins
Folate, also known as Vitamin B9, is essential for DNA synthesis. Deficiency in folate during pregnancy can lead to cleft lip or palate.
Other Vitamin B complex deficiencies like Vitamin B2, 3, 6, and 12 can lead to stomatitis, glossitis, and oral ulcers.
2) Vitamin C
This vitamin is vital for collagen synthesis. Collagen is the structural component of teeth and bone, which forms the scaffold for mineralization. It is essential for periodontal fibers, blood vessels, nerves, connective tissues, periodontal ligaments. Lacking this vitamin can result in scurvy, poor wound healing. Initial symptoms of scurvy include inflammation of the gingiva.
3) Vitamin A
Apart from its role in healthy vision, it is a critical component required to maintain the mucosal membranes, salivary glands, and teeth. Deficiency will result in tooth brittleness, salivary gland degeneration, and an increased risk of caries.
4) Vitamin D
A balanced diet plays an important role in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, allowing proper mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency in this vitamin will result in enamel and dentin hypoplasia, delayed eruption, and lamina dura and cementum loss.
5) Calcium and phosphorus
Calcium and phosphorus are the main components in the mineralization of the protein matrix of bone and teeth. The hardened substance made up of the two minerals is called hydroxyapatite. It gives bones and teeth their compressive strength. Inadequate absorption during pregnancy may result in bone deformities, incomplete tooth calcification, tooth malformation, and increased susceptibility to caries after tooth eruption. In adolescence, inadequate intake of calcium will lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis.
6) Fluoride
it catalyzes the incorporation of calcium and phosphate into the enamel. When incorporated into enamel during mineralization, it forms fluorapatite – a harder and more acid-resistant substance than hydroxyapatite.
7) Protein
It is needed to construct all body tissues and is a fundamental building block for any living organism. Protein deficiency results in the poor structural integrity of the dentition and the supporting periodontal tissues. Delayed wound healing and poor resistance to oral pathogens.
Affinity Dental Care is a general dental clinic in Burlington that provides comprehensive treatment for the families in the neighborhood. If you are looking for an excellent dental clinic near you, please call 289-861-5111 or email us at info@affinitydentalcare.ca for a consultation of your dental health status.
Comments are closed.